1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to the field of aviation which manages or generates interval management data or trajectory management data for an aircraft in flight.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the United States (“U.S.”), preparations have begun to implement the Next Generation Air Transport System (“NextGen”), a system designed to reduce the stress currently experienced by the U.S and address the expected growth in aircraft operations forecasted through 2025. A Concept of Operations (“ConOps”) developed for NextGen identified many NextGen capabilities which detail the overall effect desired through the implements of specific standards, processes, and conditions. One of these identified capabilities is an air traffic management (“ATM”) capability known as Efficient Trajectory Management, which provides the ability to assign trajectories that minimize the frequency and complexity of aircraft conflicts through the negotiation and adjustment of individual aircraft trajectories and/or sequences when required by resource constraints.
The ConOps has stated that the roles of flight operators will change as NextGen is developed to provide a collaborative ATM in which the flight crew of the aircraft will be delegated more of the spacing responsibility or both spacing and separation responsibilities that is or are currently being performed by the air navigation service providers (“ANSP”) such as air traffic controllers. Under the delegated operations, the responsibility for spacing between designated aircraft or the responsibilities for both spacing and separation between designated aircraft will transfer from the ANSP to the flight crew, such that the ANSP will intervene at times when the controller no longer believes the flight crew of the aircraft can maintain the assigned spacing or a safe separation interval between the aircraft and its designated target aircraft as assigned in a clearance. To avoid controller intervention, a clearance-dependent advisory information can be presented to the pilot.